pyramiding

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jesst

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I have had my Morla for almost 2 weeks now and I was wondering if this was the start of pyramiding. She is eating very well and eating her cuttlebone as needed. I give her soaks 2-3 times weekly and spray her down 3 times a day. If this is the start of pyramiding how can I fix or stop it from getting worse.

The first photo is from the day I got her and the second is from today.
 

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Kristina

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She already had the start of pyramiding when you got her. There is nothing that can be done to "fix" what is already there. Keep up the soaks and the spraying and it should not get any worse.
 

drgnfly2265

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Not much more to add to what Kristina said, but I just wanted to say that I love the differnet scute pattern :)
 

EricIvins

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I wouldn't view that as the "start" of Pyramiding........That's normal for growth, especially when its quick growth........

I see it happen all the time, especially when dealing with large, fast growing Tortoises. They'll go through a period of accelerated growth, then a slow down where everything evens itself out.......Without proper husbandry, that period of slower growth doesn't even out, which is where Pyramiding comes in.......Growth periods are cyclic, so you can guesstimate when you'll see it happen again........As long as they don't look like mini grenades, you're doing fine........You will however see raised Scutes as part of the growth process......How much seems to be an individual thing from what I've seen with my Hatchlings.......
 

Camelot

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Good Lord,

That looks natural to me.

My 6 month old looks like that.

I swear I take excellent care of him in every way.

Can someone explain why these photos represent pyramiding?

Thanks. This scares me to death, BTW.
 

Weda737

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Looks to me like the new growth is okay, once she's big it won't be very noticeable.
 
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Claireabbo

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it is... but spraying them keeps it from happening for some reason :) so keep it up :)
 

jesst

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Thank you everyone for the great info. I am just a very worried mom, she is my first torti and I esnt to do everything I can to keep her healthy.
 

cemmons12

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I am still new to all of this, as I got my Sully Cooper back in Feb., but I dont see a thing worth worry'n about as long as you do the things that need to be done for your Sully's. Have a great day! :)
 

SulcataSquirt

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If you get rid of those aspen shavings and get a better substrate like plain old dirt, cypress mulch or coco coir, you could keep the substrate damp which will create more humidity for your baby to grow smooth. The humidity from the wet substrate, The spraying 3 times a day, bathing once a day. Should really reverse/ put to a hault the pyramiding that had started. Also i would make a humid hide for the your tort to sleep in.
 

jesst

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SulcataSquirt said:
If you get rid of those aspen shavings and get a better substrate like plain old dirt, cypress mulch or coco coir, you could keep the substrate damp which will create more humidity for your baby to grow smooth. The humidity from the wet substrate, The spraying 3 times a day, bathing once a day. Should really reverse/ put to a hault the pyramiding that had started. Also i would make a humid hide for the your tort to sleep in.

Thank you, I have been planing on changing her substrate. I will have to do it tomorrow. Is it better to have just cypress mulch or do a 50/50 top soil mulch mixture?
 

Tom

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Yes that is pyramiding, but its still early enough to keep it from getting any worse. I've seen them start out far worse than that and end up looking great at a few years old. Sadly, it is "normal" to see them like that, but they never look like that if they are raised with high humidity, moisture, hydration and warmth. I say "normal" because for the last two decades everybody was raising them like that. Now, only just recently, we have figured out how to raise them to look more like they do in the wild. Smooth.

Here is how I do it:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies#axzz1aFmo8kwQ

And here is a very long thread going into all the details and arguments regarding pyramiding. This thread also shows the long term results of the above care sheet and these torts are still growing smooth and healthy. Time for another update, I guess.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-The-End-Of-Pyramiding#axzz1aFmo8kwQ
 

Weda737

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Listen to Tom. He's the guru of the bumpyness. It's how I'm raising my little guy too and he's growing so fast, and very smoothly.
 
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Maggie Cummings

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You need to change your substrate to cypress mulch or orchid bark, fine grade, or topsoil or coir. There are several different substrates that are better then the aspen shavings. Then you need to keep the substrate wet as to create humidity. You want to aim for about 80% humidity. Then I always say there are 4 things needed to prevent pyramiding...a good and varied diet, lots of exercise, 80% humidity and strong UVB. Lots of exercise is very important and it is often overlooked in captivity. Take it out of the habitat and let it walk around outside, or inside under your supervision. Never allow it to walk around the house without you watching him.
UVB from the sun is best but a 100 watt UVB bulb is second best, a varied diet is important. Feed as much different stuff as you can buy and allow it to graze outside. Humidity keeps them from pyramiding. Wet down the substrate and spray the tort himself several times a day...That should prevent pyramiding and create a healthy tortoise...:tort::tort::tort:
 

Weda737

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Maggie said it in a nutshell lol. Good job seeking help here, these people are great.
 

jesst

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I try to get her outside as much as possible but today the weather in Florida has been crazy....very windy and rainy. She is kept in a 20 long tank with a 100w MVB that has a basking temp of 95. I leave that on for 12 hours a day, its on a timer. She gets a variety of greens, spring mix is her favorite. She also loves zucchini and squash. I have the zoo-med desert tortoise diet for her but she doesn't like it, she spits it out :(. She has a water dish in with her at all times and she loves her cuttlebone. I am going to change her substrate tomorrow when I get home from work....the downside of emergency veterinary care....i work overnights. She also gets rep-cal, the pink label calcium sprinkled on her greens. She did have to get metronidazole daily so i was giving her banana baby food for those days and panacur. Thank you all for the great information and the fast responses. We love her dearly and just want what is best for her. (We are assuming she is a girl because of her split scute)
 

Tom

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Daily soaks and a proper humid hide box will help a lot too. I mean in addition to the other stuff already mentioned. And you need a much bigger tub to fit all your "furniture". I like a minimum of 40 for sulcata babies.

You are probably right about the sex. Probably...
 

jesst

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Tom said:
Daily soaks and a proper humid hide box will help a lot too. I mean in addition to the other stuff already mentioned. And you need a much bigger tub to fit all your "furniture". I like a minimum of 40 for sulcata babies.

You are probably right about the sex. Probably...

Thank you, when we got home with her and put all of her things in her tank....i was regretting not getting her the bigger tank. I plan on getting her a bigger house soon.
Thanks again for the responses. All of you are such a big help in answering my questions.
 
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